November is the eleventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar. November retained its name (from the Latin novem meaning nine) when January and February were added to the Roman calendar. November is a month of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, November in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.
November symbols: The birthstones of November are the topaz (particularly, yellow) which symbolizes friendship and the citrine. Its birth flower is the chrysanthemum. The zodiac signs for the month of November are Scorpio (until November 21) and Sagittarius (November 22 onwards).
Historical Events for November, 1981
Day of Week 1st » Antigua and Barbuda gains independence from the United Kingdom.
Day of Week 11th » Antigua and Barbuda joins the United Nations.
Day of Week 12th » Space Shuttle program: Mission STS-2, utilizing the Space Shuttle 'Space Shuttle Columbia named Columbia', marks the first time a manned spacecraft is launched into space twice.
Day of Week 23rd » Iran-Contra Affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contras known as Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
Day of Week 25th » Pope John Paul II appoints Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Day of Week 28th » Our Lady of Kibeho: Schoolchildren in Kibeho, Rwanda, experience the first of a series of Marian apparitions.
Day of Week 30th » Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe. (The meetings end inconclusively on December 17.)